EL 8-K
Estee Lauder Companies Inc (EL)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
On March 4, 2021, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (the “Company”) completed a public offering of $600,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 1.950% Senior Notes due 2031 (the “Notes”). The Notes are governed by the Indenture, dated as of November 5, 1999 (the “Indenture”), between the Company and U.S. Bank Trust National Association, as successor in interest to State Street Bank and Trust Company, as trustee.
The Notes mature on March 15, 2031. Interest on the Notes is payable on March 15 and September 15 of each year, commencing September 15, 2021 and accrues from March 4, 2021. The Company may redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, at its option at any time prior to December 15, 2030 (three months prior to the maturity date of the Notes) by paying a make-whole premium, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the date of redemption. In addition, the Company may redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, at its option at any time on or after December 15, 2030 (three months prior to the maturity date of the Notes) at 100% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the date of redemption. The Notes are senior unsecured obligations of the Company and rank equally with all of its other senior unsecured indebtedness.
The Notes are subject to certain customary covenants, including limitations on the Company’s ability to merge, consolidate or sell assets; limitations on the ability of the Company and certain of its subsidiaries to secure indebtedness with liens; and limitations on sale and leaseback transactions by the Company and certain of its subsidiaries. In addition, upon the occurrence of a Change of Control Repurchase Event (as described in the officers’ certificate setting forth the terms of the Notes (the “Officers’ Certificate”)), the Company will be required to make an offer to repurchase the Notes at 101% of the aggregate principal amount.
The foregoing description of the Indenture and the Notes does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Indenture, which is filed as Exhibit 4 to Amendment No. 1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-85947) filed on November 5, 1999; and to the full text of the Officers’ Certificate and the form of global note representing the Notes, which are filed as Exhibits 4.1 and 4.2 hereto, respectively. Each of the foregoing documents is incorporated by reference herein.
Item 8.01 Other Events.
On March 1, 2021, the Company entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with BofA Securities, Inc., BNP Paribas Securities Corp. and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters identified on Schedule II thereto (collectively, the “Underwriters”), to sell $600,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Notes under the Company’s automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-225076) (the “Registration Statement”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), on May 21, 2018. The Company sold the Notes to the Underwriters at a price of 98.890% of the principal amount thereof, and the Underwriters offered the Notes to the public at a price of 99.340% of the principal amount thereof.
The Underwriting Agreement contains customary representations, warranties, conditions to closing, indemnification and obligations of the parties. The Company has also agreed to indemnify the Underwriters against certain liabilities, including civil liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments that the Underwriters may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.
The foregoing description of the Underwriting Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Underwriting Agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 1.1 hereto.
Certain of the Underwriters perform and have performed commercial and investment banking and advisory services for the Company from time to time for which they receive and have received customary fees and expenses. The Underwriters may, from time to time, engage in transactions with and perform services for the Company in the ordinary course of their business for which they will receive fees and expenses.
On March 1, 2021, the Company announced the offering and pricing of the Notes. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated by reference herein.
In connection with the offering of the Notes, the Company is filing as Exhibit 5.1 hereto an opinion of counsel addressing the validity of the Notes. Such opinion is incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement.
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Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| THE ESTÉE LAUDER COMPANIES INC. | ||
| Date: March 4, 2021 | ||
| By: | /s/ Tracey T. Travis | |
| Tracey T. Travis | ||
| Executive Vice President and | ||
| Chief Financial Officer | ||
[Signature Page to Closing 8-K (2021)]
Exhibit 1.1
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
1.950% Senior Notes due 2031
Underwriting Agreement
New York, New York
March 1, 2021
To the Representatives named in
Schedule I hereto of the several
Underwriters named in
Schedule II hereto
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of Delaware (the “Company”), proposes to sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule II hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you (the “Representatives”) are acting as representatives, $600,000,000 principal amount of its 1.950% Senior Notes due 2031 (the “Securities”) identified in Schedule II hereto, to be issued under an indenture dated as of November 5, 1999 (the “Indenture”), between the Company and U.S. Bank Trust National Association, as successor in interest to State Street Bank and Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (the “Trustee”). To the extent there are no additional Underwriters listed on Schedule I other than you, the term Representatives as used herein shall mean you, as Underwriters, and the terms Representatives and Underwriters shall mean either the singular or plural as the context requires. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 which were filed under the Exchange Act on or before the Effective Date of the Registration Statement or the issue date of the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, as the case may be; and any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the Effective Date of the Registration Statement or the issue date of the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference. Certain terms used herein are defined in Section 21 hereof.
1. Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each Underwriter as set forth below in this Section 1.
(a) The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Act and has prepared and filed with the Commission an automatic shelf registration statement, as defined in Rule 405 (the file number of which is set forth in Schedule I hereto) on Form S-3, including a related Base Prospectus, for registration under the Act of the offering and sale of the Securities. Such Registration Statement, including any amendments thereto filed prior to the Time of Sale, became effective upon filing. The Company may have filed with the Commission, as part of an amendment to the Registration Statement or pursuant to Rule 424(b), one or more preliminary prospectus supplements relating to the Securities, each of which has previously been furnished to you. The Company will file with the Commission a final prospectus supplement relating to the Securities in accordance with Rule 424(b). As filed, such final prospectus supplement shall contain all information required by the Act and the rules thereunder, and, except to the extent the Representatives shall agree in writing to a modification, shall be in all substantive respects in the form furnished to you prior to the Time of Sale, and to the extent not completed at the Time of Sale, shall contain only such specific additional information and other changes (beyond that contained in the Base Prospectus and any Preliminary Prospectus) as the Company has advised you, prior to the Time of Sale, will be included or made therein. The Registration Statement, at the Time of Sale, meets the requirements set forth in Rule 415(a)(1)(x).
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(b) On each Effective Date, the Registration Statement did, and when the Final Prospectus is first filed in accordance with Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date (as defined herein), the Final Prospectus (and any supplement thereto) will, comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act, the Exchange Act and the Trust Indenture Act and the respective rules thereunder; on each Effective Date and at the Time of Sale, the Registration Statement did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; on the Effective Date and on the Closing Date, the Indenture did or will comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Trust Indenture Act and the rules thereunder; and on the date of any filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date, the Final Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to (i) that part of the Registration Statement which shall constitute the Statement of Eligibility and Qualification (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act of the Trustee or (ii) the Underwriter Information (as defined herein).
(c) (i) The Disclosure Package and (ii) each electronic road show, if any, when taken together as a whole with the Disclosure Package, at the Time of Sale does not, and at the Closing Date will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Disclosure Package based upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.
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(d) (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto, if any, for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), (iii) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c)) made any offer relating to the Securities in reliance on the exemption in Rule 163, and (iv) at the Time of Sale (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (iv)), the Company was or is (as the case may be) a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405. The Company agrees to pay the fees required by the Commission relating to the Securities within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r).
(e) (i) At the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2)) of the Securities and (ii) as of the Time of Sale (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), the Company was not and is not an Ineligible Issuer (as defined in Rule 405), without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an Ineligible Issuer.
(f) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the final term sheet prepared and filed pursuant to Section 5(b) hereto does not include any information that conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement, including any document incorporated therein by reference and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.
(g) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus; and, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, there has not been any change in the capital stock (other than pursuant to employee and non-employee director stock option plans and employment agreements in each case existing on the date of this Agreement) or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, in each case, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus.
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(h) The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as are described in the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus or such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries or such as do not and would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the business, prospects, operations, financial condition or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”); and any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its subsidiaries or such as do not and would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(i) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, and has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification, except where failure to be so qualified would not have a Material Adverse Effect; and each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated or organized and is validly existing as a corporation, limited liability company or other legal entity in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation, except where failure to be in such good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(j) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; and all of the issued shares of capital stock, membership interests or other equity interests of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and (except for directors’ qualifying shares and as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus) are owned directly or indirectly by the Company (except for minority interests in those subsidiaries of the Company set forth on Schedule III attached hereto), free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims.
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(k) The compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws of the Company or any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties, except for foreign and state securities and Blue Sky laws, and except for breaches, violations or defaults (other than any relating to the Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws of the Company) that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect or in the aggregate impair the Company’s ability to consummate the transactions herein contemplated; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is required for the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement except the registration under the Act of the Securities, any required filings under the Exchange Act and the Trust Indenture Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state or foreign securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters.
(l) Neither the Company nor any of the subsidiaries listed on Annex A hereto, which are the only significant subsidiaries of the Company as defined by Rule 1-02 of regulation S-X (each, a “Principal Subsidiary” and collectively, the “Principal Subsidiaries”) is in violation of its Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in default in the performance or observance of any material obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties or assets may be bound, which default would have a Material Adverse Effect.
(m) The statements set forth in the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus under the captions “Description of Securities” and “Description of the Senior Notes,” insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Securities, and under the caption “Material U.S. Federal Tax Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders,” insofar as they purport to summarize the provisions of the laws and documents and transactions referred to therein, are accurate and correct in all material respects.
(n) Other than as set forth in the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the Company’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others.
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(o) There are no contracts or documents of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not so described or filed.
(p) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries owns or has rights to adequate foreign and domestic patents, patent licenses, trademarks, service marks, trade names, inventions, copyrights and know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) (collectively, the “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on their respective businesses as of the date hereof, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is aware that it would interfere with, infringe upon or otherwise come into conflict with any Intellectual Property rights of third parties as a result of the operation of the business of the Company or any subsidiary as of the date hereof that, individually or in the aggregate, if subject to an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding would have a Material Adverse Effect.
(q) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, there are no holders of securities (debt or equity) of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or holders of rights (including, without limitation, preemptive rights), warrants or options to obtain securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, who have the right to request the Company or any of its subsidiaries to include securities held by them under the Registration Statement.
(r) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities, will not be an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company”, as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(s) KPMG LLP, who have certified certain financial statements and the related financial statement schedule of the Company and its subsidiaries, are independent public accountants as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
(t) The Company and its consolidated subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s authorization; (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; (E) material information relating to the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries is promptly made known to the officers responsible for establishing and maintaining the system of internal accounting controls; (F) any significant deficiencies or weaknesses in the design or operation of internal accounting controls which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data, and any fraud whether or not material that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in internal controls, are adequately and promptly disclosed to the Company’s independent auditors and the audit committee of the Company’s board of directors; (G) the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries’ internal controls over financial reporting are effective and the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries are not aware of any material weakness in their internal controls over financial reporting; and (H) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and is prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
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(u) The Company and its consolidated subsidiaries employ “disclosure controls and procedures” (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective.
(v) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(w) The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered, has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act, and constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms (subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally from time to time in effect, and subject, as to enforceability, to general principles of equity, including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing, regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Securities have been duly authorized and, when executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, will constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits of the Indenture (subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium, and other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally from time to time in effect, and subject, as to enforceability, to general principles of equity, including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing, regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
(x) There is and has been no material failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), including Section 402 relating to loans and Sections 302 and 906 relating to certifications.
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(y) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder or the U.K. Bribery Act 2010 or similar law of any other relevant jurisdiction; or (iv) made any unlawful bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment. The prohibition on noncompliance with the foregoing is covered by the codes of conduct or other procedures instituted and maintained by the Company and its subsidiaries. No part of the proceeds of the offering will be used in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 or the U.K. Bribery Act 2010, each as may be amended, or similar law of any other relevant jurisdiction, or the rules or regulations thereunder.
(z) The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance in all material respects with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions in which the Company and its subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(aa) None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (i) is, or is controlled or 50% or more owned by or is acting on behalf of, a person or entity that is currently the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States (including any administered or enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Department of State or the Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union or the United Kingdom (including sanctions administered or enforced by Her Majesty’s Treasury) (collectively, “Sanctions”) or (ii) will use the proceeds of the offering of the Securities hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person that, at the time of such financing, is the subject of any Sanctions or in any other manner that would cause the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any person or entity participating in the offering (whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) to violate any Sanctions.
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Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Securities shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.
2. Purchase and Sale. Subject to the terms and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and warranties herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at the purchase price set forth in Schedule I hereto, the principal amount of the Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule II hereto.
3. Delivery and Payment. Delivery of and payment for the Securities shall be made on the date and at the time specified in Schedule I hereto or at such time on such later date not more than three Business Days after the foregoing date as the Representatives shall designate, which date and time may be postponed by agreement between the Representatives and the Company or as provided in Section 9 hereof (such date and time of delivery and payment for the Securities being herein called the “Closing Date”). Delivery of the Securities shall be made to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives of the purchase price thereof to or upon the order of the Company by wire transfer payable in same-day funds to an account specified by the Company. Delivery of the Securities shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct. The Securities shall be registered in such names and in such denominations as the Representatives may request not less than two Business Days in advance of the Closing Date.
The Company agrees to have the Securities available for inspection, checking and packaging by the Representative in New York, New York, not later than 1:00 p.m. on the Business Day prior to the Closing Date.
4. Offering by Underwriters. It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the Securities for sale to the public as set forth in the Final Prospectus.
5. Agreements. The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that:
(a) Prior to the termination of the offering of the Securities, the Company will not file any amendment of the Registration Statement or supplement (including the Final Prospectus or any Preliminary Prospectus) to the Base Prospectus unless the Company has furnished you a copy for your review prior to filing and will not file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which you reasonably object. The Company will cause the Final Prospectus, properly completed, and any supplement thereto to be filed in a form approved by the Representatives with the Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) within the time period prescribed and will provide evidence satisfactory to the Representatives of such timely filing. The Company will promptly advise the Representatives (i) when the Final Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, shall have been filed (if required) with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) (ii) when, prior to termination of the offering of the Securities, any amendment to the Registration Statement shall have been filed or become effective, (iii) of any request by the Commission or its staff for any amendment of the Registration Statement or for any supplement to the Final Prospectus or for any additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any notice objecting to its use or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose and (v) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose. The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or the occurrence of any such suspension or objection to the use of the Registration Statement and, upon such issuance, occurrence or notice of objection, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal of such stop order or relief from such occurrence or objection, including, if necessary, by filing an amendment to the Registration Statement or a new registration statement and using its best efforts to have such amendment or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable.
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(b) To prepare a final term sheet, containing solely a description of final terms of the Securities and the offering thereof, in the form approved by you and attached as Schedule V hereto and to file such term sheet pursuant to Rule 433(d) within the time required by such Rule.
(c) If, at any time prior to the filing of the Final Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b), any event occurs as a result of which the Disclosure Package would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made or the circumstances then prevailing not misleading, the Company will (i) notify promptly the Representatives so that any use of the Disclosure Package may cease until it is amended or supplemented; (ii) amend or supplement the Disclosure Package to correct such statement or omission; and (iii) supply any amendment or supplement to you in such quantities as you may reasonably request.
(d) If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is required to be delivered under the Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172), any event occurs as a result of which the Final Prospectus as then supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made at such time not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend the Registration Statement, file a new registration statement or supplement the Final Prospectus to comply with the Act or the Exchange Act or the respective rules thereunder, including in connection with use or delivery of the Final Prospectus, the Company promptly will (i) notify the Representatives of any such event, (ii) prepare and file with the Commission, subject to the second sentence of paragraph (a) of this Section 5, an amendment or supplement or new registration statement which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance, (iii) use its best efforts to have any amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable in order to avoid any disruption in use of the Final Prospectus and (iv) supply any supplemented Final Prospectus to you in such quantities as you may reasonably request.
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(e) As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Representatives an earnings statement or statements of the Company and its subsidiaries which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158.
(f) The Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and to each other Underwriter a copy of the Registration Statement (without exhibits thereto) and, so long as delivery of a prospectus by an Underwriter or dealer may be required by the Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172), as many copies of each Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any supplement thereto as the Representatives may reasonably request.
(g) The Company will arrange, if necessary, for the qualification of the Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate and will maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Securities; provided that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take any action that would subject it to service of process in suits, other than those arising out of the offering or sale of the Securities, in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject.
(h) The Company agrees that, unless it has or shall have obtained the prior written consent of the Representatives, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees with the Company that, unless it has or shall have obtained, as the case may be, the prior written consent of the Company, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433, other than a free writing prospectus containing the information contained in the final term sheet prepared and filed pursuant to Section 5(b) hereto; provided that the prior written consent of the parties hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Free Writing Prospectuses included in Schedule IV hereto and any electronic road show, if used. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representatives or the Company is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company (x) agrees that it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and confirms (y) it has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.
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(i) The Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction which is designed to, or might reasonably be expected to, result in the disposition (whether by actual disposition or effective economic disposition due to cash settlement or otherwise) by the Company or any affiliate of the Company or any person in privity with the Company or any affiliate of the Company), directly or indirectly, including the filing (or participation in the filing) of a registration statement with the Commission in respect of, or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, any debt securities issued or guaranteed by the Company and having a tenor of more than one year (other than the Securities) or publicly announce an intention to effect any such transaction, until the Business Day that is the Closing Date as set forth on Schedule I hereto.
(j) The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.
(k) The Company agrees to pay: (i) the expenses of printing or other production of all documents related to the offering of the Securities, (ii) the fees and disbursements of KPMG LLP, in connection with the preparation of its letter required by Section 6(f) of this Agreement, (iii) the fees and disbursements of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, in connection with the preparation of its letter required by Section 6(g) of this Agreement, (iv) the fees and disbursements of its counsel related to the offering of the Securities, (v) the reasonable fees and disbursements of the Trustee relating to the offering of the Securities that are payable on the Closing Date, (vi) any fees charged by rating agencies for rating the Securities and (vii) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the registration or qualification and determination of eligibility for investment of the Securities under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including the related fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters).
6. Conditions to the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Securities shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company contained herein as of the Time of Sale and the Closing Date, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) The Final Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, have been filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b); the final term sheet contemplated by Section 5(b) hereto, and any other material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by Rule 433; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or threatened.
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(b) The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives:
(i) an opinion of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, counsel to the Company, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Representatives, in form and substance set forth on Exhibit A hereto; and
(ii) a letter of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Representatives, in form and substance set forth on Exhibit B hereto.
(c) The Representatives shall have received from Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Representatives, with respect to the issuance and sale of the Securities, the Indenture, the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Final Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) and other related matters as the Representatives may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.
(d) The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate of the Company, signed by the principal financial or accounting officer of the Company, dated the Closing Date, to the effect that the signer of such certificate has carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Final Prospectus and any supplements or amendments thereto, as well as each electronic road show, if any, used in connection with the offering of the Securities, and this Agreement and that:
(i) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct in all material respects on and as of the Closing Date with the same effect as if made on the Closing Date and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Date;
(ii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened; and
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(iii) since the date of the most recent financial statements included in the Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto), there has been no material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).
(e) At or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have executed and delivered to the Underwriters an officers’ certificate pursuant to Section 3.01 of the Indenture, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, and the Indenture and such officers’ certificate shall be in full force and effect.
(f) The Company shall have requested and caused KPMG LLP to have furnished to the Representatives, at the Time of Sale and at the Closing Date, letters (which may refer to letters previously delivered to one or more of the Representatives), dated respectively as of the Time of Sale and as of the Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives.
(g) The Company shall have requested and caused PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to have furnished to the Representatives, at the Time of Sale and at the Closing Date, letters (which may refer to letters previously delivered to one or more of the Representatives), dated respectively as of the Time of Sale and as of the Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives.
(h) Subsequent to the Time of Sale or, if earlier, the dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereof) and Final Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto), there shall not have been any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto) the effect of which is, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Securities as contemplated by the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereof), the Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).
(i) Subsequent to the Time of Sale, there shall not have been any decrease in the rating of any of the Company’s debt securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act) or any notice given of any intended or potential decrease in any such rating or of a possible change in any such rating that does not indicate the direction of the possible change.
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(j) Prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives such further information, certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.
If any of the conditions specified in this Section 6 shall not have been fulfilled when and as provided in this Agreement, or if any of the opinions and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall not be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, this Agreement and all obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be canceled at, or at any time prior to, the Closing Date by the Representatives. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or by telephone or facsimile confirmed in writing.
The documents required to be delivered by this Section 6 shall be delivered at the office of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, counsel for the Company, at 767 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10153, on the Closing Date.
7. Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses. If the sale of the Securities provided for herein is not consummated because any condition to the obligations of the Underwriters set forth in Section 6 hereof is not satisfied, or because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or comply with any provision hereof other than by reason of a default by any of the Underwriters, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters severally through the Representatives, on demand for all expenses (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel) that shall have been incurred by them in connection with the proposed purchase and sale of the Securities.
8. Indemnification and Contribution. (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees and agents of each Underwriter and each person who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or other Federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement as originally filed or in any amendment thereof, or in the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or any other preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the Securities, the Final Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the information contained in the final term sheet required to be prepared and filed pursuant to Section 5(b) hereto, or in any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and agrees to reimburse each such indemnified party, as incurred, for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion therein. For purposes of this Agreement, it being understood and agreed upon that the only information so furnished shall be (i) the fourth paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” concerning the terms of the offering by the Underwriters, and (ii) the eighth, ninth and tenth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” concerning stabilizations, penalty bids and over-allotments by the Underwriters (collectively, the “Underwriter Information”). This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have.
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(b) Each Underwriter severally and not jointly agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signs the Registration Statement, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to each Underwriter, but only with reference to the Underwriter Information. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which any Underwriter may otherwise have.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 8, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the failure so to notify the indemnifying party (i) will not relieve it from liability under paragraph (a) or (b) above unless and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying party of substantial rights and defenses and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party from any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above. The indemnifying party shall be entitled to appoint counsel of the indemnifying party’s choice at the indemnifying party’s expense to represent the indemnified party in any action for which indemnification is sought (in which case the indemnifying party shall not thereafter be responsible for the fees and expenses of any separate counsel retained by the indemnified party or parties except as set forth below); provided, however, that such counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. Notwithstanding the indemnifying party’s election to appoint counsel to represent the indemnified party in an action, the indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel (including local counsel), and the indemnifying party shall bear the reasonable fees, costs and expenses of such separate counsel if (i) the use of counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with a conflict of interest, (ii) the actual or potential defendants in, or targets of, any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, (iii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of the institution of such action or (iv) the indemnifying party shall authorize the indemnified party to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party. An indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding.
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(d) In the event that the indemnity provided in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this Section 8 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party for any reason, the Company and the Underwriters severally agree to contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or defending the same) (collectively “Losses”) to which the Company and one or more of the Underwriters may be subject in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and by the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities; provided, however, that in no case shall any Underwriter (except as may be provided in any agreement among underwriters relating to the offering of the Securities) be responsible for any amount in excess of the underwriting discount or commission applicable to the Securities purchased by such Underwriter hereunder. If the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is unavailable for any reason, the Company and the Underwriters severally shall contribute in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. Benefits received by the Company shall be deemed to be equal to the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by it, and benefits received by the Underwriters shall be deemed to be equal to the total underwriting discounts and commissions, in each case as set forth on the cover page of the Final Prospectus. Relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any untrue or any alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information provided by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution were determined by pro rata allocation or any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (d), no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 8, each person who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act and each director, officer, employee and agent of an Underwriter shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, each officer of the Company who shall have signed the Registration Statement and each director of the Company shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the applicable terms and conditions of this paragraph (d).
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9. Default by an Underwriter. If any one or more Underwriters shall fail to purchase and pay for any of the Securities agreed to be purchased by such Underwriter or Underwriters hereunder and such failure to purchase shall constitute a default in the performance of its or their obligations under this Agreement, the remaining Underwriters shall be obligated severally to take up and pay for (in the respective proportions which the principal amount of Securities set forth opposite their names in Schedule II hereto bears to the aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth opposite the names of all the remaining Underwriters) the Securities which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase; provided, however, that in the event that the aggregate principal amount of Securities which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase shall exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth in Schedule II hereto, the remaining Underwriters shall have the right to purchase all, but shall not be under any obligation to purchase any, of the Securities, and if such nondefaulting Underwriters do not purchase all the Securities, this Agreement will terminate without liability to any nondefaulting Underwriter or the Company. In the event of a default by any Underwriter as set forth in this Section 9, the Closing Date shall be postponed for such period, not exceeding five Business Days, as the Representatives shall determine in order that the required changes in the Registration Statement and Final Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter of its liability, if any, to the Company and any nondefaulting Underwriter for damages occasioned by its default hereunder.
10. Termination. This Agreement shall be subject to termination in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice given to the Company prior to delivery of and payment for the Securities, if at any time prior to such delivery and payment (i) trading in the Company’s Common Stock shall have been suspended by the Commission or trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange shall have been suspended or limited or minimum prices shall have been established on such exchange, (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared either by Federal or New York State authorities or (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war, or other calamity or crisis the effect of which on financial markets is such as to make it, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Securities as contemplated by any of the Disclosure Package, the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto), or this Agreement.
11. Representations and Indemnities to Survive. The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company or its officers and of the Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or the Company or any of the officers, directors, employees, agents or controlling persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Securities. The provisions of Sections 7 and 8 hereof shall survive the termination or cancellation of this Agreement.
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12. Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and effective only on receipt, and, if sent to the Representatives, will be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to BofA Securities, Inc., 1540 Broadway, NY8-540-26-02, New York, New York 10036-4039, Attention: High Grade Debt Capital Markets Transaction Management/Legal, (fax no. (212) 901-7881); BNP Paribas Securities Corp., 787 7th Avenue, New York, New York 10019; Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, Attention: Registration Department; or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to it at 7 Corporate Center Drive, Melville, New York 11747-3166 (fax no.: (631) 847-6215); Attention of Treasurer, with a copy to it at 767 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10153 (fax no.: (212) 572-3989); Attention of the General Counsel.
13. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers, directors, employees, agents and controlling persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.
14. No fiduciary duty. The Company hereby acknowledges that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters and any affiliate through which it may be acting, on the other, (b) the Underwriters are acting as principal and not as an agent or fiduciary of the Company and (c) the Company’s engagement of the Underwriters in connection with the offering and the process leading up to the offering is as independent contractors and not in any other capacity. Furthermore, the Company agrees that it is solely responsible for making its own judgments in connection with the offering (irrespective of whether any of the Underwriters has advised or is currently advising the Company on related or other matters). Any review by the Underwriters of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company. The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters have rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owe an agency, fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.
15. Integration. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.
16. Applicable Law. This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed within the State of New York.
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17. Waiver of Jury Trial. The Company hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
18. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in one or more counterparts (which may include counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication), each of which shall constitute an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement. Any signature to this Agreement may be delivered by facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf) or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000 or the New York Electronic Signature and Records Act or other transmission method, and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. Each of the parties hereto represents and warrants to the other parties that it has the corporate or other capacity and authority to execute this Agreement through electronic means and there are no restrictions for doing so in that party’s constitutive documents.
19. Headings. The section headings used herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
20. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.
(a) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
(b) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
21. Definitions. The terms that follow, when used in this Agreement, shall have the meanings indicated.
“Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
“Base Prospectus” shall mean the base prospectus referred to in paragraph 1(a) above contained in the Registration Statement at the Time of Sale.
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“BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k).
“Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions or trust companies are authorized or obligated by law to close in New York City.
“Commission” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Covered Entity” means any of the following:
| (i) | a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); |
| (ii) | a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or |
| (iii) | a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b). |
“Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.
“Disclosure Package” shall mean (i) the Base Prospectus, (ii) the Preliminary Prospectus used most recently prior to the Time of Sale, (iii) the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule IV hereto, (iv) the final term sheet prepared and filed pursuant to Section 5(b) hereto, if any, and (v) any other Free Writing Prospectus that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree in writing to treat as part of the Disclosure Package.
“Effective Date” shall mean each date and time that the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment or amendments thereto became or becomes effective.
“Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
“Final Prospectus” shall mean the prospectus supplement relating to the Securities that was first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) after the Time of Sale together with the Base Prospectus.
“Free Writing Prospectus” shall mean a free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 405.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” shall mean an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433.
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“Preliminary Prospectus” shall mean any preliminary prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus referred to in paragraph 1(a) above which is used prior to the filing of the Final Prospectus, together with the Base Prospectus.
“Registration Statement” shall mean the registration statement referred to in paragraph 1(a) above, including exhibits and financial statements and any prospectus supplement relating to the Securities that is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) and deemed part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B, as amended on each Effective Date and, in the event any post-effective amendment thereto becomes effective prior to the Closing Date, shall also mean such registration statement as so amended.
“Rule 158”, “Rule 163”, “Rule 164”, “Rule 172”, “Rule 405”, “Rule 415”, “Rule 424”, “Rule 430B” and “Rule 433” refer to such rules under the Act.
“Time of Sale” shall mean 4:05 p.m. Eastern on March 1, 2021, that being the time at or immediately prior to the time when sales of the Securities were first made.
“Trust Indenture Act” shall mean the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
“U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Well-Known Seasoned Issuer” shall mean a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405.
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicate hereof, whereupon this letter and your acceptance shall represent a binding agreement among the Company and the several Underwriters.
| Very truly yours, | |||
| THE EstÉe Lauder Companies Inc. | |||
| By: | /s/
Tracey T. Travis
| ||
| Name: | Tracey T. Travis | ||
| Title: | Executive Vice President and | ||
| Chief Financial Officer | |||
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The
foregoing Agreement is
hereby confirmed and accepted
as of the date specified in
Schedule I hereto.
BofA Securities, Inc.
BNP Paribas Securities Corp.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
| By: | BofA Securities, Inc. | |
| By: | /s/ Sandeep Chawla | |
| Name: Sandeep Chawla | ||
| Title: Managing Director | ||
| By: | BNP Paribas Securities Corp. | |
| By: | /s/ Rafael Ribeiro | |
| Name: Rafael Ribeiro | ||
| Title: Managing Director | ||
| By: | Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC | |
| By: | /s/ Sam Chaffin | |
| Name: Sam Chaffin | ||
| Title: Vice President | ||
For
themselves and the other
several Underwriters, if any,
named in Schedule II to the
foregoing Agreement.
-24-
SCHEDULE I
Securities
1.950% Senior Notes Due 2031
Underwriting Agreement dated March 1, 2021
| Registration Statement No.: | 333-225076 |
| Representatives: | BofA Securities, Inc. |
| BNP Paribas Securities Corp. | |
| Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC | |
| Title of Securities: | 1.950% Senior Notes due 2031 (the “Notes”) |
| Principal Amount: | $600,000,000 |
| Interest Rate: | 1.950% |
| Purchase Price: | 98.890% |
| Offering Price: | 99.340% |
| Interest Payment Dates: | March 15 and September 15, commencing September 15, 2021 |
| Subordination Provisions: | None |
| Optional Redemption: | At any time prior to December 15, 2030 (three months prior to the maturity date of the Notes), Make-Whole Call at Treasury + 10 bps |
| On or after December 15, 2030 (three months prior to the maturity date of the Notes), Par Call | |
| Sinking Fund Provisions: | None |
| Method of Payment of Securities: | Wire transfer of funds |
| Other Provisions: | Closing Date, Time and Location: March 4, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at |
| Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP | |
| 767 Fifth Avenue | |
| New York, NY 10153 |
| Type of Offering: Non-delayed | |
| Date referred to in Section 5(i) after which the Company may offer or sell debt securities issued or guaranteed by the Company without the consent of the Representatives: until the Business Day that is the Closing Date |
SCHEDULE II
| Underwriters | Principal
Amount of Securities to be Purchased | |||
| BofA Securities, Inc. | $ | 120,000,000 | ||
| BNP Paribas Securities Corp. | 120,000,000 | |||
| Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC | 120,000,000 | |||
| Citigroup Global Markets Inc. | 48,000,000 | |||
| J.P. Morgan Securities LLC | 48,000,000 | |||
| MUFG Securities Americas Inc. | 48,000,000 | |||
| HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. | 13,650,000 | |||
| ICBC Standard Bank Plc | 13,650,000 | |||
| RBC Capital Markets, LLC | 13,650,000 | |||
| SG Americas Securities, LLC | 13,650,000 | |||
| U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. | 13,650,000 | |||
| BBVA Securities Inc. | 9,250,000 | |||
| Loop Capital Markets LLC | 9,250,000 | |||
| Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC | 9,250,000 | |||
| Total | $ | 600,000,000 | ||
SCHEDULE III
Certain Subsidiaries with Minority Interests
Not Held Directly or Indirectly by the Company
Subsidiary | ELC Ownership | |||
| ELCA Cosmetics Limited and its wholly-owned subsidiaries: Estee Lauder Hellas S.A., Estee Lauder Bulgaria EOOD and Estee Lauder Romania s.r.l. | 51 | % | ||
| By Kilian Middle East FZE | 51 | % | ||
SCHEDULE IV
Schedule of Free Writing Prospectuses included in the Disclosure Package
Information contained on Schedule V
SCHEDULE V
FINAL TERM SHEET
March 1, 2021
1.950% Senior Notes due 2031
| Issuer: | The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. |
| Security: | 1.950% Senior Notes due 2031 (the “Notes”) |
| Size: | $600,000,000 |
| Maturity Date: | March 15, 2031 |
| Coupon: | 1.950% |
| Interest Payment Dates: | March 15 and September 15, commencing September 15, 2021 |
| Price to Public: | 99.340% |
| Benchmark Treasury: | 1.125% due February 15, 2031 |
| Benchmark Treasury Price and Yield: | 96-31; 1.453% |
| Spread to Benchmark Treasury: | + 57 bps |
| Yield: | 2.023% |
| Optional Redemption: | At any time prior to December 15, 2030 (three months prior to the maturity date of the Notes), Make-Whole Call at Treasury + 10 bps |
| On or after December 15, 2030 (three months prior to the maturity date of the Notes), Par Call | |
| Reference Treasury Dealers: | BofA Securities, Inc., BNP Paribas Securities Corp. or Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC |
| Expected Settlement Date: | March 4, 2021, which is the third business day (as defined in applicable SEC rules) following the date hereof (such settlement cycle being referred to as “T+3”). Purchasers should note that the ability to settle secondary market trades of the notes effected on any date prior to two business days before delivery of the notes may be affected by the T+3 settlement. |
| CUSIP
/ ISIN: Anticipated Ratings: |
29736R AR1 / US29736RAR12 |
| Joint Book-Running Managers: | BofA Securities, Inc. BNP Paribas Securities Corp. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC Citigroup Global Markets Inc. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC MUFG Securities Americas Inc. |
| Co-Managers: | HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. ICBC Standard Bank Plc RBC Capital Markets, LLC SG Americas Securities, LLC U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. BBVA Securities Inc. Loop Capital Markets LLC Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC |
Note: |
A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time. |
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus supplement) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the preliminary prospectus supplement and prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the Company has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Company and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by calling BofA Securities, Inc. toll-free at 1-800-294-1322, by calling BNP Paribas Securities Corp. toll-free at 1-800-854-5674 or by contacting Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, by telephone: 1-866-471-2526, by facsimile: 212-902-9316 or by email: Prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com.
This final term sheet supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. preliminary prospectus supplement dated March 1, 2021 and accompanying prospectus dated May 21, 2018 and the documents incorporated by reference therein.
Any disclaimers or other notices that may appear below are not applicable to this communication and should be disregarded. Such disclaimers or other notices were automatically generated as a result of this communication being sent via Bloomberg or another email system.
ANNEX A
Significant Subsidiaries
| Estee Lauder Cosmetics Limited | |
| Estee Lauder Europe, Inc. | |
| Estee Lauder Inc. | |
| Estee Lauder International, Inc. | |
| Estee Lauder Luxembourg S.a.R.L. | |
| Estee Lauder BV | |
| Estee Lauder (Shanghai) Commercial | |
| Company Ltd. | |
| Estee Lauder AG Lachen | |
| NEDP Holding S.a.R.L. | |
| Too Faced Cosmetics, LLC | |
| BECCA, Inc. | |
| Aramis, Inc. | |
| Have&Be Co. Ltd. | |
| Estee Lauder UK Holdings Ltd. | |
| Make-up Art Cosmetics Inc. |
Exhibit 4.1
THE ESTÉE LAUDER COMPANIES INC.
1.950%
Senior Notes due 2031
March 4, 2021
OFFICERS’ CERTIFICATE
THE UNDERSIGNED, Tracey T. Travis and Spencer G. Smul, do hereby certify that they are the duly appointed, qualified and acting Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Secretary, respectively, of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and they do hereby further certify that there is hereby established pursuant to the authority granted by the resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company at a duly held meeting of the Board of Directors on February 16, 2021 (the “Resolutions”) and Section 3.01 of the Indenture, dated as of November 5, 1999 (the “Indenture”), between the Company and U.S. Bank Trust National Association, as successor in interest to State Street Bank and Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (the “Trustee”), the series of Securities (as that term is used in Section 3.01 of the Indenture) to be issued under the Indenture, which series of Securities shall have the following terms and such additional terms as shall be set forth in the form of Notes (as defined below) attached hereto as Exhibit A (unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms used herein have the meanings assigned thereto in the Indenture):
1. The Securities shall be entitled the “1.950% Senior Notes due 2031” (the “Notes”).
2. The initial aggregate principal amount of the Notes that are to be authenticated and delivered under the Indenture is $600,000,000, (except for Notes authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of or in exchange for, or in lieu of other Notes pursuant to Section 3.04, 3.06, 3.07, 9.06, 11.07 or 13.05 of the Indenture). This series may be reopened and additional Notes of this series may be issued in accordance with the terms of the Indenture.
3. The principal amount of the Notes shall mature on March 15, 2031, subject to the provisions of Section 5.02 of the Indenture respecting acceleration.
4. The Notes shall bear interest from March 4, 2021, or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or provided for, at the rate of 1.950% per annum for the Notes, payable semiannually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year, commencing September 15, 2021, for payment to holders on the respective Regular Record Dates, which dates shall be the next preceding March 1 and September 1, respectively.
5. The principal of and interest on the Notes shall be payable at, and any Notes surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange shall be delivered to, the office or agency maintained by the Company for that purpose, pursuant to the Indenture (initially the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee in the Borough of Manhattan, in the City of New York); except that at the option of the Company, interest may be paid (a) by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register or (b) by wire transfer to an account maintained by the Person entitled thereto as specified in the Security Register.
6. The Notes are redeemable, in whole or in part, at the Company’s option at any time prior to the Par Call Date at a redemption price equal to the Make-Whole Price. The “Make-Whole Price” means an amount equal to the greater of (1) 100% of the principal amount of the Notes being redeemed, or (2) an amount equal to, as determined by an Independent Investment Banker, the sum of the present value of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest on the Notes being redeemed that would be due on or after the date of redemption to, but excluding, the Par Call Date but for such redemption (not including any portion of interest accrued on the Notes being redeemed as of the date of redemption), discounted to the date of redemption on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30 day months) at the Adjusted Treasury Rate, plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the date of redemption.
The Notes are redeemable, in whole or in part, at the Company’s option at any time on or after the Par Call Date at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes being redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the date of redemption.
Notice of any redemption will be provided at least 10 days but not more than 60 days before the date of redemption to each registered holder of the Notes to be redeemed. Unless the Company defaults in payment of the redemption price, on and after the date of redemption, interest will cease to accrue on the Notes or portion thereof called for redemption.
“Adjusted Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any redemption date, the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) that is the same as the Comparable Treasury Price for such redemption date, plus 10 basis points.
“Comparable Treasury Issue” means the United States Treasury security selected by an Independent Investment Banker that (1) has the maturity comparable to the remaining term of the Notes to be redeemed, calculated as if the maturity date of such Notes were the Par Call Date (the “Remaining Life”) and (2) would be used, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, to price new issues of corporate debt securities with a maturity comparable to the Remaining Life of the Notes to be redeemed.
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“Comparable Treasury Price” means, with respect to any redemption date, (A) the average of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such redemption date, after excluding the highest and lowest such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, (B) if the Trustee obtains fewer than three such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such Reference Treasury Quotations, or (C) if only one Reference Treasury Dealer Quotation is received, such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotation.
“Independent Investment Banker” means one of the Reference Treasury Dealers appointed by the Trustee after consultation with the Company.
“Par Call Date” means December 15, 2030.
“Reference Treasury Dealer” means (A) BofA Securities, Inc., BNP Paribas Securities Corp. or Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (or their respective affiliates which are Primary Treasury Dealers) and their respective successors; provided, however, that if any of the foregoing shall cease to be a primary U.S. Government securities dealer in New York City (a “Primary Treasury Dealer”), the Company will substitute therefor another Primary Treasury Dealer; and (B) any other Primary Treasury Dealer selected by the Company.
“Reference Treasury Dealer Quotation” means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any redemption date, the average, as determined by the Trustee, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Trustee by such Reference Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the third business day preceding such redemption date.
7. The Notes shall not be subject to the operation of any sinking fund or an analogous provision.
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8. There shall be the following additions to the covenants of the Company set forth in Article 10 of the Indenture with respect to the Notes:
Limitation on Liens. The Company covenants that, so long as any of the Notes remain outstanding, it shall not, nor shall it permit any Consolidated Subsidiary to, create or assume any Indebtedness for money borrowed which is secured by a pledge, mortgage, lien, charge, encumbrance or security interest (“liens”) of or upon any assets, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, of the Company or any such Consolidated Subsidiary without equally and ratably securing the Notes by a lien ranking ratably with and equal to (or at the option of the Company, senior to) such secured Indebtedness for as long as such Indebtedness remains outstanding and is so secured, except that the foregoing restriction shall not apply to (a) liens on any assets of any corporation or other business entity existing at the time such Person becomes a Consolidated Subsidiary; (b) liens on any assets (including, without limitation, property, shares of stock or indebtedness) existing at the time of acquisition of such assets by the Company or a Consolidated Subsidiary, or liens to secure the payment of all or any part of the purchase price of such assets upon the acquisition of such assets by the Company or a Consolidated Subsidiary or to secure any indebtedness incurred or guaranteed by the Company or a Consolidated Subsidiary prior to, at the time of, or within 360 days after such acquisition (or in the case of real property, the completion of construction (including any improvements on an existing asset) or commencement of full operation of such, property, whichever is later), which indebtedness is incurred or guaranteed for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase price thereof or, in the case of real property, construction or improvements thereon; provided, however, that in the case of any such acquisition, construction or improvement, the lien shall not apply to any assets theretofore owned by the Company or a Consolidated Subsidiary, other than, in the case of any such construction or improvement, any real property on which the property so constructed, or the improvement, is located; (c) liens on any assets securing indebtedness owed by any Consolidated Subsidiary to the Company or another wholly owned Subsidiary; (d) liens existing on the date of initial issuance of the Notes; (e) liens on any assets of a corporation or other business entity existing at the time such Person is merged into or consolidated with the Company or a Subsidiary or at the time of a purchase, lease or other acquisition of the assets of such Person as an entirety or substantially as an entirety by the Company or a Subsidiary; (f) liens on any assets of the Company or a Consolidated Subsidiary in favor of the United States of America or any state thereof, or any department, agency or instrumentality or political subdivision of the United States of America or any state thereof, or in favor of any other country, or any political subdivision thereof, to secure partial, progress, advance or other payments pursuant to any contract or statute or to secure any indebtedness incurred or guaranteed for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase price (or, in the case of real property, the cost of construction) of the assets subject to such liens (including, but not limited to, liens incurred in connection with pollution control, industrial revenue or similar financing); (g) any extension, renewal or replacement or successive extensions, renewals or replacements, in whole or in part, of any lien referred to in the foregoing clauses (a) to (f), inclusive, including the refinancing thereof without increase of the principal of the indebtedness secured by such lien (except to the extent of any fees or costs associated with any such extension, renewal or replacement); (h) liens imposed by law, such as mechanics’, workmen’s, repairmen’s, materialmen’s, carriers’, warehousemen’s, vendors’ or other similar liens arising in the ordinary course of business, or governmental (federal, state or municipal) liens arising out of contracts for the sale of products or services by the Company or any Consolidated Subsidiary, or deposits or pledges to obtain the release of any of the foregoing liens; (i) pledges, liens or deposits under worker’s compensation laws or similar legislation and liens or judgments thereunder which are not currently dischargeable, or in connection with bids, tenders, contracts (other than for the payment of money) or leases to which the Company or any Consolidated Subsidiary is a party, or to secure public or statutory obligations of the Company or any Consolidated Subsidiary, or in connection with obtaining or maintaining self-insurance or to obtain the benefits of any law, regulation or arrangement pertaining to unemployment insurance, old age pensions, social security or similar matters, or to secure surety, performance, appeal or customs bonds to which the Company or any Consolidated Subsidiary is a party, or in litigation or other proceedings such as, but not limited to, interpleader proceedings, and other similar pledges, liens or deposits made or incurred in the ordinary course of business; (j) liens created by or resulting from any litigation or other proceeding which is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, including liens arising out of judgments or awards against the Company or any Consolidated Subsidiary with respect to which the Company or such Consolidated Subsidiary is in good faith prosecuting an appeal or proceedings for review or for which the time to make an appeal has not yet expired; or final unappealable judgment liens which are satisfied within 15 days of the date of judgment; or liens incurred by the Company or any Consolidated Subsidiary for the purpose of obtaining a stay or discharge in the course of any litigation or other proceeding to which the Company or such Consolidated Subsidiary is a party; (k) liens for taxes or assessments or governmental charges or levies not yet due or delinquent, or which can thereafter be paid without penalty, or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings; landlord’s liens on property held under lease; and any other liens or charges incidental to the conduct of the business of the Company or any Consolidated Subsidiary or the ownership of the assets of any of them which were not incurred in connection with the borrowing of money or the obtaining of advances or credit and which do not, in the opinion of the Company, materially impair the use of such assets in the operation of the business of the Company or such Consolidated Subsidiary or the value of such assets for the purposes thereof; or (l) liens relating to accounts receivable of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which have been sold, assigned or otherwise transferred to another Person in a transaction classified as a sale of accounts receivable in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (to the extent the sale by the Company or the applicable Subsidiary is deemed to give rise to a lien in favor of the purchaser thereof in such accounts receivable or the proceeds thereof).
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Notwithstanding the above, the Company or any Consolidated Subsidiary may, without securing the Notes, create or assume any Indebtedness which is secured by a lien which would otherwise be subject to the foregoing restrictions, provided that at the time of such creation or assumption, after giving effect thereto, Exempted Debt does not exceed 15% of the total assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles as reflected on the Company’s most recent publicly available consolidated balance sheet.
Limitation on Sale and Lease-Back Transactions. The Company covenants that, so long as any of the Notes remain outstanding, the Company shall not, nor shall the Company permit any Consolidated Subsidiary to, enter into any sale and lease-back transaction with respect to any assets, other than any sale lease-back transaction (involving a lease for a term of not more than three years), unless either (a) the Company or such Consolidated Subsidiary would be entitled to incur Indebtedness secured by a lien on the assets to be leased in an amount at least equal to the Attributable Debt in respect of such transaction without equally and ratably securing the Notes pursuant to clauses (a) through (l) inclusive of the covenant with respect to “Limitation on Liens” above, or (b) the proceeds of the sale of the assets to be leased are at least equal to their fair market value (as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company) and the proceeds are applied to the purchase or acquisition (or, in the case of real property, the construction) of assets or to the retirement (other than at maturity or pursuant to a mandatory sinking fund or mandatory redemption provision) of Indebtedness. The foregoing limitation shall not apply, if at the time the Company or any Consolidated Subsidiary enters into such sale and lease-back transaction, and after giving effect thereto, Exempted Debt does not exceed 15% of the total assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles as reflected on the Company’s most recent publicly available consolidated balance sheet.
5
The term “Attributable Debt” in connection with a sale and lease-back transaction shall mean, as of the date of determination, the lesser of (a) the fair value of the assets subject to such transaction, as determined by the Company’s Board of Directors, or (b) the present value of the obligations of the lessee for net rental payments during the term of any lease discounted at the rate of interest set forth or implicit in the terms of such lease or, if not practicable to determine such rate, the weighted average interest rate per annum borne by the debt securities outstanding pursuant to the Indenture and subject to limitations on sale and lease-back transaction covenants, compounded semi-annually in either case as determined by the Company’s principal accounting or financial officer.
The term “Consolidated Subsidiary” shall mean any Subsidiary substantially all the property of which is located, and substantially all the operations of which are conducted, in the United States of America whose financial statements are consolidated with those of the Company in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, excluding any Subsidiary substantially all the assets of which consist of stock or other securities of any Subsidiary substantially all the property of which and substantially all the operations of which are conducted outside the United States of America.
The term “Exempted Debt” shall mean the sum of the following as of the date of determination: (i) Indebtedness of the Company and its Consolidated Subsidiaries incurred after the date of initial issuance of the Notes and secured by liens not permitted to be created or assumed pursuant to the covenant with respect to “Limitation on Liens” above, and (ii) Attributable Debt of the Company and its Consolidated Subsidiaries in respect of every sale and lease-back transaction entered into after the date of initial issuance of the Notes, other than leases expressly permitted by the covenant with respect to “Limitation on Sale and Lease-Back Transactions” above.
The term “Indebtedness” shall mean all items classified as indebtedness on the most recent publicly available consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Consolidated Subsidiaries, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
The term “net rental payments” under any lease of any period shall mean the sum of the rental and other payments required to be paid in such period by the lessee thereunder, not including, however, any amounts required to be paid by such lessee (whether or not designated as rental or additional rental) on account of maintenance and repairs, reconstruction, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates or similar charges required to be paid by such lessee thereunder or any amounts required to be paid by such lessee thereunder contingent upon the amount of sales, maintenance and repairs, reconstruction, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates or similar charges.
6
The term “Subsidiary” shall mean any corporation, association, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other business entity of which at least a majority of the total voting power of the equity interest under ordinary circumstances for the election of the board of directors, managers or trustees thereof shall at the time be owned by the Company or by the Company and one or more Subsidiaries or by one or more Subsidiaries.
Purchase of Notes Upon a Change of Control Repurchase Event. If a Change of Control Repurchase Event (defined below) occurs, unless the Company has exercised its right to redeem the Notes as described in paragraph 6 above, the Company shall make an offer to each holder of Notes to repurchase all or any part (in multiples of $2,000 principal amount) of that holder’s Notes at a repurchase price in cash equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes repurchased plus any accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes repurchased to the date of repurchase. Within 30 days following any Change of Control Repurchase Event or, at the option of the Company, prior to any Change of Control (defined below), but after the public announcement of the Change of Control, the Company shall provide a notice to each holder stating:
| (i) | that a Change of Control has occurred or is about to occur and that such holder has the right to require the Company to purchase such holder’s Notes at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof on the date of purchase, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the date of purchase; |
| (ii) | the circumstances and relevant facts regarding such Change of Control Repurchase Event or, if the Change of Control is about to occur, the circumstances and relevant facts regarding such Change of Control; |
| (iii) | the purchase date (which shall be no earlier than 10 calendar days nor later than 60 calendar days from the date such notice is provided); |
| (iv) | the instructions, as determined by the Company, that a holder must follow in order to have its Notes purchased; and |
| (v) | that the offer to purchase is conditioned on the Change of Control Repurchase Event occurring on or prior to the specified purchase date, if provided prior to the date of consummation of the Change of Control. |
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The Company shall comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and any other securities laws and regulations to the extent those laws and regulations are applicable in connection with the repurchase of the Notes as a result of a Change of Control Repurchase Event. To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with the Change of Control Repurchase Event provisions of the Notes, the Company shall comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and shall not be deemed to have breached any obligations under the Change of Control Repurchase Event provisions of the Notes by virtue of such conflict.
On the Change of Control Repurchase Event payment date, the Company shall, to the extent lawful:
| (i) | accept for payment all Notes or portions of Notes properly tendered pursuant to the Company’s offer; |
| (ii) | deposit with the paying agent an amount equal to the aggregate purchase price in respect of all Notes or portions of Notes properly tendered; and |
| (iii) | deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Notes properly accepted, together with an officers’ certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Notes being purchased by the Company. |
The paying agent will promptly pay, from funds deposited by the Company for such purpose, to each holder of Notes properly tendered the purchase price for the Notes, and the Trustee will promptly authenticate and mail (or cause to be transferred by book-entry) to each holder a new note equal in principal amount to any unpurchased portion of any Notes surrendered.
The Company shall not be required to make an offer to repurchase the Notes upon a Change of Control Repurchase Event if a third party makes an offer in the manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements for an offer made by the Company and such third party purchases all Notes properly tendered and not withdrawn under its offer.
“Change of Control” means the occurrence of any of the following:
| (1) | the direct or indirect sale, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company and those of the subsidiaries of the Company, taken as a whole, to any “person” (individually and as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) and Section 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act), other than the Company or a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company; |
8
| (2) | the adoption of a plan relating to the liquidation or dissolution of the Company; |
| (3) | the first day on which a majority of the members of the board of directors of the Company are not Continuing Directors; |
| (4) | the consummation of any transaction or series of related transactions (including, without limitation, any merger or consolidation) the result of which is that any “person” (individually and as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) and Section 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act), other than the Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company or Lauder Family Members, becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the Voting Stock of the Company, and following such transaction or transactions, Lauder Family Members beneficially own less than 50% of the Voting Stock of the Company, in each case, measured by voting power rather than number of shares; or |
| (5) | the consummation of a so-called “going private/Rule 13e-3 Transaction” that results in any of the effects described in paragraph (a)(3)(ii) of Rule 13e-3 under the Exchange Act (or any successor provision), following which Lauder Family Members beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the Voting Stock of the Company, measured by voting power rather than number of shares. |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a transaction effected to create a holding company for the Company that is subject to the provisions of Article 8 (Merger, Consolidation and Sale of Assets) of the Indenture will not be deemed to involve a Change of Control if (a) pursuant to such transaction the Company becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of such holding company and (b) the holders of the Voting Stock of such holding company immediately following such transaction are the same as the holders of the Voting Stock of the Company immediately prior to such transaction.
“Below Investment Grade Rating Event” means the Notes are rated below Investment Grade by both Rating Agencies on any date from the date of the public notice of an arrangement that could result in a Change of Control until the end of the 60-day period following public notice of the occurrence of a Change of Control (which period shall be extended so long as the rating of the Notes is under publicly announced consideration for possible downgrade by either of the Rating Agencies); provided that a Below Investment Grade Rating Event otherwise arising by virtue of a particular reduction in rating shall not be deemed to have occurred in respect of a particular Change of Control (and thus shall not be deemed a Below Investment Grade Rating Event for purposes of the definition of Change of Control Repurchase Event hereunder) if the Rating Agencies making the reduction in rating to which this definition would otherwise apply do not announce or publicly confirm or inform the Trustee in writing at its request that the reduction was the result, in whole or in part, of any event or circumstance comprised of or arising as a result of, or in respect of, the applicable Change of Control (whether or not the applicable Change of Control shall have occurred at the time of the Below Investment Grade Rating Event).
9
“Change of Control Repurchase Event” means the occurrence of both a Change of Control and a Below Investment Grade Rating Event.
“Continuing Directors” means, as of any date of determination, any member of the board of directors of the Company who:
| (1) | was a member of such board of directors on the first date that any of the Notes were issued; or |
| (2) | was nominated for election or elected to the board of directors of the Company with the approval of a majority of the Continuing Directors who were members of the board of directors of the Company at the time of such nomination or election. |
“Investment Grade” means a rating of Baa3 or better by Moody’s (or its equivalent under any successor rating categories of Moody’s) and BBB- or better by S&P (or its equivalent under any successor rating categories of S&P) (or, in each case, if such Rating Agency ceases to rate the Notes for reasons outside of the control of the Company, the equivalent investment grade credit rating from any Rating Agency selected by the Company as a replacement Rating Agency).
“Lauder Family Members” includes only the following persons: (i) the estate of Mrs. Estee Lauder; (ii) each descendant of Mrs. Lauder (a “Lauder Descendant”) and their respective estates, guardians, conservators or committees; (iii) each “Family Controlled Entity” (as defined below); and (iv) the trustees, in their respective capacities as such, of each “Family Controlled Trust” (as defined below). The term “Family Controlled Entity” means (i) any not-for-profit corporation if at least 80% of its board of directors is composed of Lauder Descendants; (ii) any other corporation if at least 80% of the value of its outstanding equity is owned by Lauder Family Members; (iii) any partnership if at least 80% of the value of its partnership interests are owned by Lauder Family Members; and (iv) any limited liability or similar company if at least 80% of the value of the company is owned by Lauder Family Members. The term “Family Controlled Trust” includes the trusts existing on November 16, 1995 and set forth on Schedule A to the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation as in effect on the date hereof and trusts the primary beneficiaries of which are Lauder Descendants, spouses of Lauder Descendants and/or charitable organizations, provided that if the trust is a wholly charitable trust, at least 80% of the trustees of such trust consist of Lauder Descendants.
10
“Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
“Rating Agency” means:
| (1) | each of Moody’s and S&P; and |
| (2) | if either of Moody’s or S&P ceases to rate the Notes or fails to make a rating of the Notes publicly available for reasons outside of the control of the Company, a “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” within the meaning of Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act selected by the Company as a replacement agency for Moody’s or S&P, or both, as the case may be. |
“S&P” means S&P Global Ratings, a division of S&P Global Inc.
“Voting Stock” as applied to stock of any person, means shares, interests, participations or other equivalents in the equity interest (however designated) in such person having ordinary voting power for the election of a majority of the directors (or the equivalent) of such person, other than shares, interests, participations or other equivalents having such power only by reason of the occurrence of a contingency.
9. The Indenture, with certain exceptions as therein provided, may be amended or modified by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding of all series affected thereby, voting as a single class, whether or not consented to by any holder of the Notes.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, holders of the Notes shall vote as a separate class with respect to modifications or amendments that affect only the Notes, and the holders of other series of Outstanding Securities shall not have any voting rights with respect to such matters as they relate to the Notes.
10. The Notes shall only be issued as Registered Securities.
11. The Notes shall be issued in permanent global form without interest coupons, initially issued to Cede & Co., as nominee of The Depository Trust Company (the initial depository therefor), in accordance with Section 3.03 of the Indenture.
[signatures appear on the following page]
11
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Certificate on the date written first above.
| /s/ Tracey T. Travis | ||
| Name: | Tracey T. Travis | |
| Title: | Executive Vice President and | |
| Chief Financial Officer | ||
| /s/ Spencer G. Smul | ||
| Name: | Spencer G. Smul | |
| Title: | Senior Vice President, | |
| Deputy General Counsel and Secretary | ||
[Signature Page to Officers’ Certificate 2031 Notes]
Exhibit A
THIS NOTE IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF THE DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY. THIS NOTE IS NOT EXCHANGEABLE FOR SECURITIES REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A PERSON OTHER THAN THE DEPOSITARY OR ITS NOMINEE EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE, AND NO TRANSFER OF THIS NOTE (OTHER THAN A TRANSFER OF THIS NOTE AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY) MAY BE REGISTERED EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE.
| REGISTERED | $[•] | |
| No. | [•] | CUSIP # 29736R AR1 |
| ISIN # US29736RAR12 | ||
THE ESTéE LAUDER COMPANIES INC.
1.950% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2031
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), for value received, hereby promises to pay to CEDE & CO., or registered assigns, the principal amount stated above on March 15, 2031 (the “Maturity Date”) and to pay interest thereon at the rate per annum equal to 1.950% (the “Interest Rate”) until the principal hereof is fully paid or duly made available for payment. The Company will pay interest (computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months) semi-annually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year (each an “Interest Payment Date”) commencing September 15, 2021 and on the Maturity Date on said principal amount at the Interest Rate per annum specified above. Interest on this Note will accrue from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for or, if no interest has been paid, from March 4, 2021 until the principal hereof has been paid or made available for payment. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on the Interest Payment Dates, will, as provided in the Indenture referred to below, be paid to the Person in whose name this Note (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest, which shall be the March 1 or September 1 whether or not a Business Day, as the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date; provided, however, that interest payable on the Maturity Date will be payable to the Person to whom the principal hereof shall be payable; and provided, further, however, that if such Interest Payment Date would fall on a day that is not a Business Day, such Interest Payment Date shall be the following day that is a Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date. Any such interest which is payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date, and may be paid to the Person in whose name this Note (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to the Holder of this Note not less than ten days prior to such Special Record Date, or may be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Notes may be listed and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided in the Indenture.
A-1
Payment of the principal of and interest on this Note shall be made at the office or agency of the Trustee maintained for that purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for the payment of public and private debt; provided, however, that payment of interest on any Interest Payment Date (other than the Maturity Date) may be made at the option of the Company by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register, or by wire transfer of immediately available funds, if the registered holder has so requested by a notice in writing delivered to the Trustee not less than 16 days prior to the Interest Payment Date on which such payment is due, which notice shall provide appropriate instructions for such transfer.
The principal hereof and interest due at maturity will be paid upon maturity in immediately available funds against presentation of this Note at the office or agency of the Trustee maintained for that purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York.
REFERENCE IS HEREBY MADE TO THE FURTHER PROVISIONS OF THIS NOTE SET FORTH ON THE REVERSE HEREOF, WHICH FURTHER PROVISIONS SHALL FOR ALL PURPOSES HAVE THE SAME EFFECT AS IF SET FORTH ON THE FACE HEREOF.
This Note shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by U.S. Bank Trust National Association, as successor in interest to State Street Bank and Trust Company, N.A., the Trustee under the Indenture, or its successor thereunder by the manual signature of one of its authorized signatories, this Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.
A-2
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed.
| Dated March 4, 2021 | THE ESTÉE LAUDER COMPANIES INC. | ||
| By: | |||
| Name: | Tracey T. Travis | ||
| Title: | Executive Vice President and | ||
| Chief Financial Officer | |||
CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
| U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as successor in interest to STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY, N.A., as Trustee | ||
| By: | ||
| Authorized Signatory | ||
[Signature Page to Global Note]
A-3
[Reverse of Note]
THE ESTéE LAUDER COMPANIES INC.
1.950% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2031
This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of debentures, notes or other evidences of indebtedness (hereinafter called the “Securities”) of the Company of the series hereinafter specified, all such Securities issued and to be issued under the Indenture dated as of November 5, 1999 (herein called the “Indenture”) between the Company and U.S. Bank Trust National Association, as successor in interest to State Street Bank and Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (herein called the “Trustee,” which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures or officers’ certificates, as applicable, supplemental thereto (including without limitation that certain Officers’ Certificate dated March 4, 2021 relating to the Company’s 1.950% Senior Notes due 2031) reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights and limitations of rights thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities, and the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. As provided in the Indenture, Securities may be issued in one or more series, which different series may be issued in various aggregate principal amounts, may mature at different times, may bear interest, if any, at different rates, may be subject to different redemption provisions, if any, may be subject to different repayment provisions, if any, may be subject to different sinking, purchase or analogous funds, if any, may be subject to different covenants and Events of Default and may otherwise vary as in the Indenture provided or permitted. This Note is one of a series of the Securities designated as 1.950% Senior Notes due 2031 (the “Notes”). The Notes are unsecured and rank pari passu with all other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness of the Company. The Notes are not subject to a sinking fund.
The Notes are redeemable, in whole or in part, at the Company’s option at any time prior to the Par Call Date at a redemption price equal to the Make-Whole Price. The “Make-Whole Price” means an amount equal to the greater of (1) 100% of the principal amount of the Notes being redeemed, or (2) an amount equal to, as determined by an Independent Investment Banker, the sum of the present value of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest on the Notes being redeemed that would be due on or after the date of redemption to, but excluding, the Par Call Date but for such redemption (not including any portion of interest accrued on the Notes being redeemed as of the date of redemption), discounted to the date of redemption on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Adjusted Treasury Rate, plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the date of redemption.
The Notes are redeemable, in whole or in part, at the Company’s option at any time on or after the Par Call Date at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes being redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the date of redemption.
Notice of any redemption will be provided at least 10 days but not more than 60 days before the date of redemption to each registered holder of the Notes to be redeemed. Unless the Company defaults in payment of the redemption price, on and after the date of redemption, interest will cease to accrue on the Notes or portion thereof called for redemption.
A-4
“Adjusted Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any redemption date, the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) that is the same as the Comparable Treasury Price for such redemption date, plus 10 basis points.
“Comparable Treasury Issue” means the United States Treasury security selected by an Independent Investment Banker that (1) has the maturity comparable to the remaining term of the Notes to be redeemed, calculated as if the maturity date of such Notes were the Par Call Date (the “Remaining Life”) and (2) would be used, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, to price new issues of corporate debt securities with a maturity comparable to the Remaining Life of the Notes to be redeemed.
“Comparable Treasury Price” means, with respect to any redemption date, (A) the average of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such redemption date, after excluding the highest and lowest such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, (B) if the Trustee obtains fewer than three such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such Reference Treasury Quotations, or (C) if only one Reference Treasury Dealer Quotation is received, such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotation.
“Independent Investment Banker” means one of the Reference Treasury Dealers appointed by the Trustee after consultation with the Company.
“Par Call Date” means December 15, 2030.
“Reference Treasury Dealer” means (A) BofA Securities, Inc., BNP Paribas Securities Corp. or Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (or their respective affiliates which are Primary Treasury Dealers) and their respective successors; provided, however, that if any of the foregoing shall cease to be a primary U.S. Government securities dealer in New York City (a “Primary Treasury Dealer”), the Company will substitute therefor another Primary Treasury Dealer; and (B) any other Primary Treasury Dealer selected by the Company.
“Reference Treasury Dealer Quotation” means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any redemption date, the average, as determined by the Trustee, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Trustee by such Reference Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the third business day preceding such redemption date.
If any Event of Default (as defined in the Indenture) with respect to the Notes shall occur and be continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Notes may declare the principal of all the Notes due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.
The Indenture, as supplemented by an Officers’ Certificate in connection with the issuance of the Notes, permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Securities of all series affected thereby, voting as a single class, whether or not consented to by any Holder of this Note.
A-5
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Holders of the Notes shall vote as a separate class with respect to modifications or amendments that affect only the Notes, and the Holders of other series of Outstanding Securities shall not have any voting rights with respect to such matters as they relate to the Notes.
The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of each series at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all Securities of each series, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Note shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon future Holders of this Note and of any Note issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Note.
Holders of Securities may not enforce their rights pursuant to the Indenture or the Securities except as provided in the Indenture. No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Note or the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and interest on this Note at the time, place, and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.
As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Note may be registered on the Security Register of the Company, upon surrender of this Note for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company, and this Note duly executed by, the Holder hereof or by his attorney duly authorized in writing and thereupon one or more new Notes, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.
The Notes are issuable only in registered form without coupons in minimum denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, this Note is exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Notes of different authorized denominations as requested by the Holder surrendering the same.
No service charge will be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
Prior to the due presentment of this Note for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Note is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Note be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice of the contrary.
A-6
All capitalized terms used in this Note and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.
A-7
ABBREVIATIONS
The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this instrument, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:
| TEN COM - | as tenants in common | |
| TEN ENT - | as tenants by the entireties | |
| JT TEN - | as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common | |
| UNIF GIFT MIN ACT - | ___________________
Custodian
(Cust) (Minor) Under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act |
|
| (State) |
Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.
A-8
ASSIGNMENT
FOR
VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned
hereby sell(s), assign(s) and transfer(s) unto
PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE
PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS INCLUDING POSTAL ZIP CODE OF ASSIGNEE
the within Note and all rights thereunder, hereby irrevocably constituting and appointing
Attorney to transfer said Note on the books of the Company, with full power of substitution in the premises.
| Dated: | ||
| (Signature Guarantee) | ||
A-9
Exhibit 5.1
| |
| 767
Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10153-0119 +1 212 310 8000 tel +1 212 310 8007 fax |
March 4, 2021
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
767 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10153
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the issuance and sale by the Company of $600,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 1.950% Senior Notes due 2031 (the “Notes”). The Notes were issued under an Indenture, dated as of November 5, 1999 (the “Indenture”), between the Company and U.S. Bank Trust National Association, as successor in interest to State Street Bank and Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (the “Trustee”).
In so acting, we have examined originals or copies (certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction) of (i) the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-225076) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on May 21, 2018 (the “Registration Statement”); (ii) the prospectus, dated May 21, 2018, contained within the Registration Statement (the “Base Prospectus”); (iii) the prospectus supplement, dated March 1, 2021 (together with the Base Prospectus, the “Prospectus”); (iv) the Indenture; (v) the officers’ certificate setting forth the terms of the Notes; (vi) the global certificates representing the Notes; (vii) the Underwriting Agreement, dated March 1, 2021, among the Company and BofA Securities, Inc., BNP Securities Corp. and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named in Schedule II thereto; and (viii) such corporate records, agreements, documents and other instruments, and such certificates or comparable documents of public officials and of officers and representatives of the Company, and have made such inquiries of such officers and representatives, as we have deemed relevant and necessary as a basis for the opinions hereinafter set forth.
In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified, conformed or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. As to all questions of fact material to this opinion that have not been independently established, we have relied upon certificates or comparable documents of officers and representatives of the Company.
March 4, 2021
Page 2
Based on the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications stated herein, we are of the opinion that the Notes (assuming due authentication and delivery thereof by the Trustee in accordance with the terms of the Indenture) constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights and remedies generally, and subject, as to enforceability, to general principles of equity, including principles of commercial reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity).
The opinion expressed herein is limited to the corporate laws of the State of Delaware and the laws of the State of New York, and we express no opinion as to the effect on the matters covered by this letter of the laws of any other jurisdiction.
We hereby consent to the filing of this letter as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus which is a part of the Registration Statement. In giving such consent we do not hereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Exhibit 99.1
767 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10153 |
News
Investor Relations: Rainey Mancini rmancini@estee.com
Media Relations: Jill Marvin jimarvin@estee.com
|
THE ESTÉE LAUDER COMPANIES TO ISSUE $600 MILLION OF SENIOR NOTES
New York, NY, March 1, 2021 -- The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) today announced the offering and pricing of $600 million aggregate principal amount of 1.950% Senior Notes due 2031.
The offering was made pursuant to an effective registration statement filed by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission and effective as of May 21, 2018. The closing of the offering is expected to occur on or about March 4, 2021.
The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering for general corporate purposes, which may include funding a portion of the purchase price to increase its investment in DECIEM Beauty Group Inc., operating expenses, working capital, capital expenditures and redemption and repayment of short-term or long-term borrowings, including refinancing the 1.700% Senior Notes due May 10, 2021. Pending any specific application, the Company may initially invest funds in short-term marketable securities.
BofA Securities, Inc., BNP Paribas Securities Corp., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and MUFG Securities Americas Inc. are the joint book-running managers for the offering. Copies of the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus may be obtained, when available, by contacting BofA Securities, Inc., NC1-004-03-43, 200 North College Street, 3rd Floor, Charlotte, North Carolina 28255-0001, Attn: Prospectus Department, by telephone at 1-800-294-1322 or by email at dg.prospectus_requests@bofa.com; BNP Paribas Securities Corp., 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019, or by telephone at 1-800-854-5674 or by email at new.york.syndicate@bnpparibas.com; Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, by telephone at 1-866-471-2526, by facsimile at 212-902-9316 or by email at prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com; Citigroup Global Markets Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by telephone at 1-800-831-9146 or by email at prospectus@citi.com; J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 383 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10179, Attn: Investment Grade Syndicate Desk or by calling collect at 1-212-834-4533; or MUFG Securities Americas Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor, New York, New York 10020 or by telephone at 1-877-649-6848.
An electronic copy of the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus will also be available on the website of the Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the notes, nor shall there be any sale of these notes in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. A registration statement relating to the notes became effective on May 21, 2018, and this offering is being made by means of a prospectus supplement.
About The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products. The Company’s products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, Tommy Hilfiger, M·A·C, La Mer, Bobbi Brown, Donna Karan New York, DKNY, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Michael Kors, Darphin, Tom Ford Beauty, Smashbox, Ermenegildo Zegna, AERIN, RODIN olio lusso, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GLAMGLOW, Kilian Paris, BECCA, Too Faced and Dr. Jart+.